Category: Travel

Everyday life, Local sights, Travel

Golden Valley

by wattleandash2 Comments on Golden Valley
Golden Valley

Malvern may be famous for its hills but there are also a couple of lovely commons at the base of the slopes.

Commons are like huge open plan parks.  They often have livestock grazing on them and you’re allowed to walk, picnic and play on the land. In Australia, I think a reserve would be the closest equivalent.

Last weekend Adam and I found ourselves at Castlemorton Common, which is just south of the village of Welland. It’s famous for being the site of England’s biggest illegal rave, but these days is just a nice place for a Sunday walk!

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Food, Local sights, Travel

A special surprise

by wattleandash1 Comment on A special surprise
A special surprise

Ever since we started seeing each other, Adam and I have been pretty good at planning and keeping regular ‘dates’ – meals out, days out or mini-breaks that allow us to spend quality time together as a couple, away from the regular routine of home.

Most of the time it’s something we’ve planned and will look forward to together, but the other week Adam organised a surprise date for me…

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Local sights, Travel

The flower farm

by wattleandash5 Comments on The flower farm
The flower farm

A large field in the English countryside, warm sun, blue sky and blooming flowers five foot tall, as far as the eye can see. That was my Sunday.

A few weeks ago I spotted a post on Facebook about a Worcestershire flower farm that opens its fields to visitors every July.

The owners of the farm harvest its flowers to produce floral ‘confetti’ for weddings and other events, but lets people visit its delphinium and cornflower field before the stems are stripped.

Adam and I made the short journey to Wick, a gorgeous little village just outside of Pershore, for a look…

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Local sights, Travel

Oxford 

by wattleandash4 Comments on Oxford 
Oxford 

Oxford is the sort of place where you spend most of your time looking up. The architecture in this city is breathtaking and I’m certain during my brief visit last weekend, I tripped over half a dozen times because I just couldn’t take my eyes off the magnificent buildings all around!

Christ Church Memorial Garden, Oxford, England.

The city is famous of course because of Oxford University, the oldest university in the English speaking world.  The first teachings in Oxford are believed to have occurred in 1096! Oxford has been on my ‘world wide bucket list’ for some time, so en route to meeting up with some friends in London, Adam and I dropped in for a wander.

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Style, Travel

Hello pixie!

by wattleandash6 Comments on Hello pixie!
Hello pixie!

For the majority of my adult life I’ve enjoyed regular appointments at the hair salon.  My mother and her mother always had their hair ‘done’ and it was a little treat I always made sure I had money set aside for.  I love the whole experience – the mindless flipping through dozens of magazines, the chit chat with the stylist and luxury of having your hair washed and properly blow dried.

I popped into my mum’s regular salon about a week or so before Adam and I flew to England, knowing it was probably the last time in a little while that I’d pamper myself. Then life sort of happened, and moving abroad, setting up a new house and travelling became my priority.  Then a few weeks ago I had the realisation I hadn’t had a hair cut in eight (!!) months and decided it was time to treat myself once more.

So I did some research, asked girlfriends for recommendations and made an appointment at new a local salon.

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Everyday life, Food, Thoughts, Travel

The great British summer

by wattleandash2 Comments on The great British summer
The great British summer

After teasing us and offering up a warm day or two here and there over the last few months, summer arrived in England this week.

Pimms in a tall glass and bare feet.
First Pimms of the summer!

We’ve had a solid six days in a row of temperatures in the high 20s, low 30s. It’s even prompted official government warnings, about beating the heat.  Friends and Adam’s family have been asking all about how we Aussies cope with weather like this for months at a time.

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Food, Local sights, Travel

Posh services

by wattleandash10 Comments on Posh services
Posh services

When you go on a road trip in Australia you inevitably end up stopping at a ‘servo’ to refuel the car, use the bathroom and eat. On busy routes there might be a ‘service centre’ where there is a petrol station and several fast food outlets, but on many country roads, it’s an old style road house – essentially a petrol station with a cafeteria attached.

Driving in Australia.

 In England, the ‘service centre’ is known as ‘services’ and most are akin to what you find on the Hume Highway at Yass. As I’ve learnt over the past few months though, there are fancy road-side stops in a few select locations. Welcome to the world of ‘posh services’…

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Local sights, Travel

Slow days on Solway

by wattleandash3 Comments on Slow days on Solway
Slow days on Solway

It’s been cool, wet and windy across much of the U.K. over the last few days but I haven’t minded at all, because Adam and I have been hiding in a little cottage in Scotland.

The Lookout near Dundrennan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

It was one of those spur of the moment getaways. We both had a clear spot in our calendars and decided a few peaceful days in a glorious setting was just what we needed.

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